DutchTrance
New Member
- Joined
- 3 Feb 2014
- Messages
- 3
I am new here and read through a few posts but it sounds like I'm not the only one with the concerns I have below.
For reference I did some work on bullying when I was a teacher so it is this particular aspect that always gets my back up. Some people may call me obstinant, other may feel im standing up for those who know little. I hope in any case you can help because where i find bullies, I tend to fight back.
This will be the 3rd time ive taken Northern rail to task, the first was when I was routinely threatened with Penalty fares for walking through a station (but never crossing the barriers into the station) on my way to work. I was told that as i appeared out the station i must have come from the station and thus been on a train. After being boxed in by 5 burlies and threatened, the police came and sorted it and I proved though adoption records that the station frontage was adopted highway. I got an apology and told it would not happen again, but it did. Alot!
The second time i was stopped for the reuse of a ticket. I explained it was a break in journey as a part of an onward connecting journey and i left the station for breakfast as train was not due to leave for another 30 mins or so but i was told there's no such thing and was asked to see the station manager. He claimed I could not use break in journey on an advance fair and i produced the conditions of carriage proving I could. I got a letter of apology and told it would not happened again. It did not.
Recently I went to work on a Monday as normal and passed though the ticket inspection (where my ticket was inspected by hand) un impeeded at my departure station. 25 minutes later when I got to my destination I (my self, not the ticket people) found out my monthly pass had expired on the sunday. I went straight to the manned ticket counter BEFORE passing through ticket inspection and i purchased a new monthly pass asking to keep the old one for refund at work as part of my expenses.
As i left the ticket counter, one of 2 G4S burlies came over in his bomber jacket, jeans and trainers and told me I HAD to tell him where id travelled from. Not knowing who he was, I stood my ground and refused asking why I had to do this. The G4S burly said I had travelled without a ticket and thus was liable for a penalty fare and I had to tell him where id travelled from. I refused again but asked to see his ID, which he refused to do this and threatened me with getting the 'enforcement gang' to come meet me and they would 'sort me out'.
I explained again that I had purchased a ticket and did not for one moment try to evade or dodge paying and indeed I was a daily train traveller, thus had a continuous stream of monthly tickets. He asked me to one side, which I did, and told me that he'd get me in future once my ticket ran out and he'd keep an eye out for me. I asked why i should tell him any thing when he refuses to identify him self.
Not happy with this attitude I asked him for an identification number as id be complaining and he tucked his lan yard under his jacket and said hed get me next time. I foolishly tried to move the lan yard out his jacket and he grabbed my hand and said I was not allowed to touch him. I asked the other G4S guy over and the Ticket counter man to witness this behaviour as i had not tried to touch him and both told the G4S guy to leave me alone. Again getting in my face he threatened me with courts and all sorts I asked again for his ID and told he an 'ID number', which was a 5 digit number. I asked if he'd finished, which he said he had an I went on my way.
Now im legally savvy and thus I can stand up to this guy, but others are not and his insistence that he had these fabulous legal powers bestowed on him and threats of other heavies would seriously intimidate others and its this that gets my back up.
I fully admit I travelled that morning without a valid ticket (which the ticket inspectors missed too so im only as stupid as they are at the worst) but i corrected my lack of ticket at the first opportunity available to me, exactly as per the conditions of carriage, and I feel I acted fairly and reasonably. His actions however were not and it is this that I am angry about.
Now i already know that G4S have no powers of arrest nor of detention as they claim they have but what powers DO they have as I intend to make sure this G4S gentleman does not get away with his bully boy tactics against others who cant stand upto him.
For reference I did some work on bullying when I was a teacher so it is this particular aspect that always gets my back up. Some people may call me obstinant, other may feel im standing up for those who know little. I hope in any case you can help because where i find bullies, I tend to fight back.
This will be the 3rd time ive taken Northern rail to task, the first was when I was routinely threatened with Penalty fares for walking through a station (but never crossing the barriers into the station) on my way to work. I was told that as i appeared out the station i must have come from the station and thus been on a train. After being boxed in by 5 burlies and threatened, the police came and sorted it and I proved though adoption records that the station frontage was adopted highway. I got an apology and told it would not happen again, but it did. Alot!
The second time i was stopped for the reuse of a ticket. I explained it was a break in journey as a part of an onward connecting journey and i left the station for breakfast as train was not due to leave for another 30 mins or so but i was told there's no such thing and was asked to see the station manager. He claimed I could not use break in journey on an advance fair and i produced the conditions of carriage proving I could. I got a letter of apology and told it would not happened again. It did not.
Recently I went to work on a Monday as normal and passed though the ticket inspection (where my ticket was inspected by hand) un impeeded at my departure station. 25 minutes later when I got to my destination I (my self, not the ticket people) found out my monthly pass had expired on the sunday. I went straight to the manned ticket counter BEFORE passing through ticket inspection and i purchased a new monthly pass asking to keep the old one for refund at work as part of my expenses.
As i left the ticket counter, one of 2 G4S burlies came over in his bomber jacket, jeans and trainers and told me I HAD to tell him where id travelled from. Not knowing who he was, I stood my ground and refused asking why I had to do this. The G4S burly said I had travelled without a ticket and thus was liable for a penalty fare and I had to tell him where id travelled from. I refused again but asked to see his ID, which he refused to do this and threatened me with getting the 'enforcement gang' to come meet me and they would 'sort me out'.
I explained again that I had purchased a ticket and did not for one moment try to evade or dodge paying and indeed I was a daily train traveller, thus had a continuous stream of monthly tickets. He asked me to one side, which I did, and told me that he'd get me in future once my ticket ran out and he'd keep an eye out for me. I asked why i should tell him any thing when he refuses to identify him self.
Not happy with this attitude I asked him for an identification number as id be complaining and he tucked his lan yard under his jacket and said hed get me next time. I foolishly tried to move the lan yard out his jacket and he grabbed my hand and said I was not allowed to touch him. I asked the other G4S guy over and the Ticket counter man to witness this behaviour as i had not tried to touch him and both told the G4S guy to leave me alone. Again getting in my face he threatened me with courts and all sorts I asked again for his ID and told he an 'ID number', which was a 5 digit number. I asked if he'd finished, which he said he had an I went on my way.
Now im legally savvy and thus I can stand up to this guy, but others are not and his insistence that he had these fabulous legal powers bestowed on him and threats of other heavies would seriously intimidate others and its this that gets my back up.
I fully admit I travelled that morning without a valid ticket (which the ticket inspectors missed too so im only as stupid as they are at the worst) but i corrected my lack of ticket at the first opportunity available to me, exactly as per the conditions of carriage, and I feel I acted fairly and reasonably. His actions however were not and it is this that I am angry about.
Now i already know that G4S have no powers of arrest nor of detention as they claim they have but what powers DO they have as I intend to make sure this G4S gentleman does not get away with his bully boy tactics against others who cant stand upto him.